BRA - Bummer for Barbosa over guard position in Hamamatsu
SAO PAULO (FIBA World Championship) - Brazil guard Leandro Barbosa has revealed his frustration at not being able to play in his preferred shooting guard position at the FIBA World Championship.
Brazil coach Aluisio `Lula' Ferreira employed Barbosa as a point guard in Japan whereas the Phoenix Suns ace spent most of the build-up as the off-guard - the role he would rather play.
Barbosa's dismay was compounded by the fact that Brazil suffered a premature exit from the tournament, going out in the group stages after losing four of their five games in Hamamatsu.
Brazil lost close contests against Australia, Turkey, Greece and Lithuania.
"I would have liked playing more in position two because I was playing there before the championship. However, there (in Japan), I played in position one," said Barbosa, who averaged 13.2 points and 2.8 assists per game in his five games.
"I have not discussed it with Lula, but he knew my opinion. He decided that I would be the playmaker of the team."
However, despite admitting the change in role had affected his game in Japan, Barbosa is not holding it against his coach.
"But I don't want to criticise anybody. Lula was one of the coaches who discovered me and we've always had a good relationship, either playing in the national team or not."
